autumn gardening tasks

5 must-do tasks in your autumn garden

Sweep It. Images: Getty. Start with your paths, patio and lawn. ...
Make Leaf Mould. Images: Getty. All of the leaves you sweep up will make great compost. ...
Pull Up Annuals. Images: Getty. ...
Tidy Hedges And Flowering Shrubs. Images: Getty. ...
Cut Down Perennials. Images: Getty.

What do I do with my garden in autumn?

Top 10 autumn tips to prepare your garden for winter

Scrub off shade paint. Give greenhouse windows a thorough clean. ...
Autumn clean. Leave no place for pests to hide. ...
Tidy up borders. Spend some time on your borders. ...
Lawn enforcement. Deal with moss. ...
Make leaf mould. ...
Clear out compost bins. ...
Plant evergreens. ...
Lift tender species.

What should I be doing in the garden in October?

9 jobs for the garden in October:

Look after your lawn. ...
Give the garden a tidy up. ...
Sharpen up your hedges. ...
Split up spring-flowering perennials. ...
Plant garlic. ...
Plant spring-flowering bulbs. ...
Start spring bedding in beds and containers. ...
Grow hyacinths for winter flowers and fragrance.

What do you put in a garden in the fall?

What to add? Compost, raw organic matter, and organic nutrients. Autumn is a good time to improve your soil by adding raw organic matter, such as shredded leaves.

What do you put in pots in autumn?

10 plants for colourful autumn foliage

Heuchera 'Cinnabar Silver'
Euphorbia 'Blackbird'
Ivy in container with winter-flowering heather.
Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescen'
Skimmia x confusa 'Kew Green'
Nandina domestica.
Dead nettle 'White Nancy'
Ajuga reptans 'Black Scallop'

Why is autumn the best time to plant?

With the soil warm from summer and moist from autumn rain, now is the perfect time to get out in the garden and plant for brilliant autumn colour. ... Autumn is also the best time of year to plant bulbs, as they need to be chilled in the ground before they break dormancy and begin growing and blooming.

Should I Fertilise my garden in autumn?

Fertilising in Autumn means strong roots. When your plants and lawns come out of dormancy at the start of Spring they'll have a strong base to last throughout the warmer seasons. A good nitrogen based boost will help green everything up and a phosphorus fertiliser will promote great root growth.

Is it OK to plant shrubs in October?

October is an ideal time for moving and planting trees, shrubs and climbers, as well as for hedge planting. Bare-root - Deciduous trees and shrubs, as well as root-wrapped evergreens, become available towards the end of the month, so you could think ahead and prepare the ground for them now.

What plants should be cut back in autumn?

Fruit bushes such as currants and gooseberries will benefit from thinning out, while perennials that lack decorative seed heads should be cut back to the ground. Autumn is also the time to prune tender plants such as lavender and rosemary, which won't withstand pruning in winter.

What do you do with tomato plants in October?

What to do in October

Harvest tomatoes, chillies, squash runner beans before first frost.
Consider protecting winter crops – see discussion below.
Slug and snail patrols.
Cover empty pots or sow with seeds.
Sow fast growing salad crops.
Save seeds.

How do you prepare soil for autumn?

Top 5 Autumn Preparation Tips

Prepare the soil. Turn over the soil well, breaking up hard clumps and removing any weeds and debris as you go.
Plant a green manure crop. ...
Improve the soil with compost. ...
Sow long-maturing vegetables early. ...
Sow large-seeded vegetables when the weather cools.

Is tilling bad for your garden?

Till Pros and Cons

Tilling helps to break up compacted or clay soil and add oxygen and organic matter to soil. It mixes amendments and compost into the soil, preparing it for use within weeks. The downside of tilling is that it destroys the natural soil structure, which makes soil more prone to compaction.

Should you till your garden every year?

You do not have to till your garden when your soil is covered. Tilling was needed every spring, and some gardeners also tilled in the fall. Mulch is also needed every year, or at least in the first few years. When the garden matures you might be able to skip a year, just see how the soil is.

What plants flower in autumn and winter?

Begin to plant autumn and winter flowering bulbs, corms and tubers in borders and containers in spring.
...
Autumn Flowering Bulbs

Crocus. ...
Dahlia. ...
Nerine. ...
Sternbergia. ...
Cyclamen hederifolium. ...
Gladiolus murielae. ...
Begonia.

What plants grow in autumn and winter?

Here are our top bedding plants to plant this autumn – both for winter interest and early spring displays.

Pansy. Featured: Pansy 'Matrix Mixed' ...
Viola. Featured: Viola 'Bunny Ears' ...
Primrose. Featured: The hardy Primrose 'Husky Mixed' ...
Polyanthus. Featured: Polyanthus 'Most Scented Mix' ...
Bellis. ...
Cyclamen coum.

What do you put in a winter planter?

Ideas for natural materials to enhance your planter

Red or yellow twig dogwood.
Curly willow twigs/branches.
Birch branches.
Eucalyptus.
Berry sprays.
Seed pods and cones.
Evergreen cuttings, branches and tree tops.
Magnolia branches.

Is autumn a good time to plant trees?

Autumn is a great time to plant almost anything, from tiny seedlings to large trees. It's also an ideal time to choose plants for their autumn foliage colours. Soil temperatures are still warm enough to encourage root growth, and milder temperatures reduce water stress.

Is it OK to plant in autumn?

Autumn weather is perfect for gardens to be planted. It can be difficult for plants to adjust to a new garden bed, and autumn offers the ideal temperature – not too hot like summer, not too cool like winter – to reduce the risk of transplant shock.

Can you grow potatoes in autumn?

Potatoes are a cool season crop but do not like it cold and frost will kill them. ... Therefore growing potatoes in autumn makes a lot of sense as they are planted when the temperatures are warm, which will promote good foliage growth, and then as the temperatures start to drop tubers will begin to develop.

What plants grow in autumn?

Vegetables to plant in autumn include broccoli, lettuce, onion, peas, spinach, spring onion and turnip. Herbs that will flourish at this time of year include coriander, fennel, garlic, lavender, parsley, rocket, sage, rosemary and thyme.

Do you mulch in autumn?

You can mulch at any time of the year, but doing so in autumn makes a lot of sense. The soil is warm, so you'll trap in that heat and moisture. ... It will help keep winter weeds at bay, protect roots from frost and help prevent soil from washing away in storms and harsh wind. Mulches come in a variety of hues.

When should I Fertilise my garden?

The most important time to fertilise is in spring, when the warming weather starts the growing season. Use a general purpose fertiliser then to give your entire garden a boost. Avoid the use of phosphorus-rich products on native gardens – feed them with a native-specific plant food instead.